Pharmacological inhibition of α-synuclein aggregation within liquid condensates.
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Peer-reviewed
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Abstract
Aggregated forms of α-synuclein constitute the major component of Lewy bodies, the proteinaceous aggregates characteristic of Parkinson's disease. Emerging evidence suggests that α-synuclein aggregation may occur within liquid condensates formed through phase separation. This mechanism of aggregation creates new challenges and opportunities for drug discovery for Parkinson's disease, which is otherwise still incurable. Here we show that the condensation-driven aggregation pathway of α-synuclein can be inhibited using small molecules. We report that the aminosterol claramine stabilizes α-synuclein condensates and inhibits α-synuclein aggregation within the condensates both in vitro and in a Caenorhabditis elegans model of Parkinson's disease. By using a chemical kinetics approach, we show that the mechanism of action of claramine is to inhibit primary nucleation within the condensates. These results illustrate a possible therapeutic route based on the inhibition of protein aggregation within condensates, a phenomenon likely to be relevant in other neurodegenerative disorders.
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Acknowledgements: We would like to acknowledge Roman Misteli for assistance with ChemDraw chemical structures. S.T.D acknowledges funding from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC; BB/M011194/1). Z.T. acknowledges funding from the Ron Thomson Research Fellowship in Alzheimer’s Disease, Pembroke College, Cambridge. A.R. acknowledges funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No 956977. M.V. acknowledges funding from UKRI (10059436 and 10061100).
Funder: UK Research and Innovation (10059436 and 10061100)
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2041-1723
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Horizon Europe UKRI Underwrite Innovate (10061100)
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BB/M011194/1)
European Commission Horizon 2020 (H2020) Marie Sk?odowska-Curie actions (956977)